I don't claim to be any expert on national security or secret classification but the Bin Laden raid has caused me to do a little thinking. Why did we (the public) need to know that computers, storage discs and documents were retrieved from the compound?
We have, in recent years, seen the hulabaloo over Wikileaks disclosures. The government condemned these leaks and has been vigorously pursuing Bradley Manning, Mr. Assange, and other various whistle blowers over these and other disclosures. From all I have read the disclosures point out violations of laws, war crimes and various acts of government stupidity, mendacity, and deception. While maybe "classified", the information has been more embarrassing to Government officials than dangerous to national security.
Now however, the revelation that our Navy Seals took away computers, documents, etc. from the Bin Laden compound seems to me a most serious breach of national security. With this information out, every Al Qaeda individual and cell will now cover their tracks, move, and change whatever plans they have -- in short making any intelligence gathered at the compound greatly less valuable if not almost useless.
Why could not we have said we had hoped to find intelligence but found it had been destroyed or just say nothing?
This just goes to prove to me that secret classifications is much more often used to protect Government officials from investigation, prosecution and embarrassment than to protect national security.